Regulator for hot-water heaters



J. H. GRININGER 1,778,361

REGULATOR FOR HOT WATER HEATERS Filed May 11, 1927 A 'FTOEJYSE'X Patented Got. 14, 1933 JOHN-H. GRININGER, OF ST. PAUL, MENNESOTA REGULATOR FOP HOT-WATER- HEATERS Application filed May 11, 1927.

"My invention relates to a lating hot Water heaters of the well known :usualtype'iforheating hot water ta "for domestic use. The main object of the invention is to provide asiinple and eiiicient device for turning on and off the gas or liquid fuel in a hot water heater by means accessible from or near a kitchen sink or other convenient place in a building but remote from such heater.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is an elevation of a floor in section, portions of a kitchen and basementand enibodying my complete device shov'ngtwo 'forinso f primary operating-devices one of which is in operative connection with a socalled gas water-heater.

Fi 2 is an enlargeddetail end view of the'rock shaft with rod 18 in verticalrelation thereto, about as at line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail elevation of the fuel burner operating means involved in my device.

Fig. 4- is a partly longitudinal sectional elevation of a preferred "type of water valve used in the operation of my device.

Referring to the drawing by reference nun'ierals, 5 designates the jacket of the usual type of upright gas water heater in which is mounted the usual water coil. 6 heated by either a gas or oil burner 7 connected by a pipe 8 to a source of fuel, said pipe 8 having a valve 9 and a pilot light pipe 10 for gniting thefuel at burner 7. All said pa rts are usually installed in a basement 1n proxiniity to a water tank (not shown), and connected with said coil 6. 11 is a floor on joists 12, and 13 is a portion of a wall above door ll supported by a suitable post as to the right in Fig. 1.

My devicein its preferred form comprises a hand lever 16 for oscillating. its vertical shaft 16S as in the upper central part of Fig. 1, the said shaft 16S being of a length device for regudetermined by the location of lever 16 above the basement or other room in which the water heater is located, the lower end of it is supported in a bearing 35 and near said end has a lever 17 pivotally connected to a red area is exposed and occ pants of a build provided to prevent o\ ing the bail 27B 0 Serial No. 1913514.

routaily disposed reach rod it), the opend oi said rod 18' being conrected to incl on a rock shaft 20 :ournaled in suitable l'ianger brackets 21 axes to the floor joists 12 in main part of 1. Said rock shaft carries a lever 52:! which has its free end pivotally connected to the upoer end of a secondary reach rod L extending dowm "ardiy and connected to a lever 24. operating a fuel control valve It is obvious that the hand lever may be one, t vo or more floors above the floor 11 under which the water heating apparatus is located. 1

At the left in upper part of Fig. 1 the lever '16 is oscillatable in a vertical plane and its shaft 163 is journale'd horizontally in an indicator disc 15 lined on wall 13 by screwsl5B, operative commotionbeing established between lever 17 and 19 by the rod 18 being in upright position. Disc lo may be used with either the horizontal or vertically operated lever 16. 15B are screws for fixing the said disc, as described. The lower half of said disc comprises, as shown, an OHilVJRlCl shield 15S witha center bearing 15$ for the shank or shaft 165; as the case maybe.

25 is a circular plate on shank 165% of lever 16 and with one half colored red, said red area being fully exposed outwardly of shield 158 when gas is turned on full. Vhen crank 16 is turned as from full to dotted line position (to the left in Fig. 1) only half ofsaid ing will know that the gas is turned off and vice-versa when the entire red area is exposed.

It is obvious ii a safety valve must be r-hoating of 'a tank. For this purpose, I provide another lever near end 0'; rock shaft 20, said lever engagsuspended cylindrical bucket 27. Said lever projects in opposite direction from shaft 20 relative to lever and thus when thelatter is swung down to open the gas passage, the lever 26 is swung upwardly raising bucket 27 (see FlT-'1'3Yl(l 2). This movement causes the opening of a culate thence through a suitable outlet 30 located, so as to drop water into bucket 27, (see Fig Water valve which allows water to drip into bucket 27 gradually filling the latter until its weight pulls lever 26 down and oscillates shaft 20 so that rod 23 is raised and fuelis shut off. Certain Water supply'means comprise a feed pipe 28 connected to a source of water and *has an outlet 28A. to a needle valve seat 28S for a needle valve 20V com-- prising an integral part of shaft 20, threaded into. a sleeve 29 which is also threaded V 1) T he rate of flow of water maybe varied as desired to fill bucket 2-7 which has an apertured bottom 27C and piston-like falseibotom 31 with a downwardly project-- 'ing fpin' 31F normally protrudingthrough said bOttomQ'ZG. The member 31 is 'also uapertured, but not' to correspond with the apertures 1n bottom 270 so that water in the bucket will normally press parts '31 and 127C together in water tight condition. it

will be readily understood that the lower end of bucket 27 is'normally within afunnel 232 having an outlet pipe 33 and aw'e'b 393V near its outlet; Whe'n the bucket 27 becomes sufficiently heavy from the water in it,'itdrops down, pin 31Pstrikes web .33, piston '31 is stopped. and bottom 27C of the bucket isseparated from it andwaterescapes from bucket a 1 lever to automat cally shut off the fuehand 7' to outlet 33. This dropping movementfof the bucket oscillates the shaft 20 and: other parts connected with the fuel-ivalve, wherebythe lattershuts off the fuel to the burner. In Fig. 3 a preferredtype of lever '24: 1s

shown and. comprises a piece of bar metal hingedly connected at 24A to a curved lower end 23L of rod 23, said bar 24 beingbifur- 7 y sh eld according to the posit on of the fuel valve and the pos1t1on of, said hand lever.'

cated as at 'QBto straddle andfrictionally engage the fiat valve stem part 9F, said bi- ;furcated part extending away from said lever and closed together and threaded for a nut'34l. Adjustment of said nut causes the ,-lever 2a to clamp thevalve piece 9F securely.

I; The use of my device has been fully disv closedin the preceding descr ption of iny device. Various other modifications maybe involved during. installation of myfdevice but these may be construed as being'em bodied 1n the scope and sp rit of theinven- V tion,

a fuelifeed pipe and'a' valve therein, said.

ing a water coil heated by a burner regulator for hot waterheaters .hav-- 7 ing awater coil heated by a burnerhaving anotherlever on the adjacent part of the secondary rock shaft, a reach rod connecting said levers and adapted to impart oscillating movement to said secondary rock shaft, a lever fulcrumed on said latter shaft intermediate its ends, an upright reach rod extending from saidlatter lever audits lower end operatively connected to said fuel valve, and a trip leveron the furtherv end of said secondary rock shaft arranged to be swung upwardly when the secondary rock shaft is tilted to openthe fuel valve, and a tripping device operatively connected tosaid latter lever to automatically shut off the fuel.

2. A regulator. for hot water heaters hav having a fuel feed pipe and a valve therein, said regulating device comprising a primary rock shaft and a hand lever thereon incl-emote locationfrom said burner; a lever onsaid' shaft, a secondary horizontally mounted rock shaft, a lever on said primary shaft and another lever on the adjacent part of" the secondary rock shaft, a reach ,rod'connecting said levers and adapted to impart oscillating movement to said secondary rock shaft, a lever fulcrumed on said latter shaft intermediate its ends, an upright reach rod a visible signal device arrangedin a plane parallel tofthe movement of said hand lever In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN calmness.

' regulating device'comprising a-primary rock 7 .shaftand ahand lever thereon in remote 1 location from-sjaid burner; a lever on said,

shaft, 3 secondary -'horizontally fmounted rock shaft, a lever on said primary shaft and 

